Flamingosis returns to Quartyard for the Bright Moments 10 Year Anniversary on Fri Oct 23. Flamingosis Support TBA Flamingosis makes the soundtrack to being your best self. Under the spell of Aaron Velasquez, the New Jersey-raised and Brooklyn-based artist and producer, handcrafted electronic beats meet live instrumentation spiked with funk in the center of the dancefloor (right underneath the disco ball). The ensuing overflow of energy might just inspire you to get up and move, fall in love, or even change your life. Extending a creative arc without comparison, he strikes a deep emotional chord on his 2024 full-length album, Better Will Come. “Everyone wants to get better in some way,” he states. “The album highlights my own personal experience of growing, and you can potentially relate your story to what I went through. I learned a lot of hard lessons, but I made a conscious effort to grow in every way—not just musically, but physically, mentally, and spiritually. I did a lot of inner work, and I channeled these experiences into the music. If you pursue self-improvement, life improves around you too.” A season of transformation and awakening underlined the genesis of Better Will Come. “Around the time of the Daymaker tour, behind-the-scenes life hit me in an unexpected way I didn’t think was possible,” he recalls. “In turn, I took a downward spiral as a direct result of my poor choices and failure to balance things in my personal life. It was a hard pill to swallow, but I had to get real. I acknowledged it and consciously made a change. I started eating healthier, going to the gym, and seeing a therapist. Everything helped a lot. I funneled the inner pain and turmoil into the music.” He did so during sessions in New York and Denver. Beyond shaping lively and lush soundscapes of his own, he orchestrated performances by a bevy of musicians such as Jeff Franca, Hunter Roberts, Bora Lee, Mike Tallman, and Eddie Roberts. Akin to a conductor, he actively produced the players and arranged the tracks. Now, he introduces this chapter via the uplifting single “Feel Yourself” [with Marc Rebillet]. A seventies-style synth line wraps around the bass, while a head-nodding beat sets the tempo punctuated by glimmering guitar and a loose lead. Rebillet’s buttery smooth vocals engage and empower as he urges, “Nobody feeling you, gotta feel yourself.” “Marc and I have known each other since 2019,” he says. “I admire him as a musician and as a person. We reconnected in 2022, and it was dope he made time for me. ‘Feel Yourself’ is straight-to-the-point. He came up with the hook on the spot, and it’s almost like a mantra. Your inner consciousness is telling you, ‘People around you can love you for who you are. At the end of the day though, nobody can help you and love you for you; you have to do that. You need to do the inner work.” “There are way more solos on the album,” he smiles. “It made everything more colorful.” In the end, Flamingosis delivers a message meant to be shared aloud on the album. “It’s a reminder that no matter what you’re going through, you can be better for yourself,” he leaves off. “Hard times don’t last. All of those little things add up to change you for the better. Am I where I want to be? Probably not yet, but I’m a lot better than I was when I started the whole process.” All ages event | No pets | No refunds $20-30 Tickets 6pm-9pm